Tag Archives: Expectation

Nice Guys Always Win

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Many of you know my Day Job is in sales. For almost 18 years I’ve been in retail car sales. 80% of you just reached for your mouse to exit this post. Please don’t. I promise it’ll be okay.

For MOST of those 18 years, I’ve loved my job. There is one primary reason.

I thoroughly enjoy helping people sort through their options and make the best decision for their situation.

Easy, right? In fact it is!

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The hard part of sales is learning the product. Once you know the product, the selling is easy. And really, you’re not even selling. You’re consulting and advising. You’re sharing the information about the product so the customer can make the best decision.

A couple of weeks ago I helped out a few people with some simple questions. They were definitely in the market to purchase vehicles, but they weren’t quite ready to do it while talking with me.

A few days later, one gentleman came back to the store. In the days between visits he had been to a couple of other dealerships. Before even telling me he wanted to purchase a vehicle, he made sure to tell me why he came back to purchase from me.

His reason had nothing to do with price. It had nothing to do with availability. (I didn’t even have the vehicle in stock he wanted.)

He came back because I took the time to answer his questions. I didn’t pressure him to make a decision. I didn’t try to talk him into a different vehicle.

His final words to me when he left (after placing an order for the exact vehicle he wants), “Nice guys always win.”

I 100% agree with him.

Whether I sell a person a vehicle or not, being nice is the only way to go about my business.

I know there are salesmen who spend their entire day trying to use all the “tricks of the trade” to talk people into purchasing their particular product. I also know I get to go home each night with a clear conscience.

Do I want to sell more vehicles? Yes. Without a doubt.

Do I want more money in my bank account? You bet.

But never at the cost of selling the right way.

Everyone reading this is in sales. Yep. Everyone.

No matter your job. You are in sales. You are in customer service. You interact with other people every day.

Make sure you remember: Nice guys do ALWAYS win.

A Holy Experience

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Something happened to me on Monday. It’s hard to describe. I think the best way to explain it would be to say the Holy Spirit moved in me.

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During Lent this year, I’ve been working through a 40 day prayer challenge. Using Mark Batterson‘s book, Draw the Circle – The 40 Day Prayer Challenge, I have daily spent time reading a devotional and learning how to pray with intent.

Monday was day 35. At some point early Monday afternoon, I began to feel a strong urge to go pray. I’m not talking about finding a quiet place at work to pray for a few minutes. This was a full-on urge or push or whatever you want to call it, to leave work and spend significant time in prayer.

I didn’t know what to do.

How could I simply leave work? What would I say to my boss? What about my customers who were expecting to see me when they arrived later? And it wasn’t like I could simply hold out until 5pm. This “feeling” began early in the afternoon. Maybe around 1pm. On Mondays I work until 8pm.

I decided I’d at least begin with leaving for lunch. Usually I eat at my desk, but I knew this needed to be different. My intent was to grab some lunch and go sit in my truck somewhere and pray.

As I walked to my truck I realized I needed to ignore my hunger. It could wait. This needed to be a time focused on prayer.

I drove to a nearby parking lot where I wouldn’t be bothered. And I prayed. I prayed for over an hour. I prayed for the four items I’ve been circling in prayer during the 40 day challenge. I closed my eyes, opened my hands, and prayed.

I prayed for God to calm my mind.

I prayed for God to open my ears.

I prayed for God to open my heart.

I prayed for God to speak to me, and to pour His love and power into my heart so I could be more obedient to His calling in my life.

The call to pray was crystal clear. I answered the call the best I could at the time. I had to return to work. There were people relying on me.

The time I spent praying was wonderful. The experience was what I had been searching for, and at least partly the intent behind participating in the 40 Day Prayer Challenge.

There is certainly a rebirth occurring in my prayer life. I’ve learned how important it is to be intentional, committed and consistent with prayer.

Prayer can begin a rebirth in your life. It has in mine.

Through these last weeks I have grown exponentially in some areas of my prayer life, and not at all in other areas. It is a learning experience. It is a growth experience.

I’m growing closer to God. I’m learning how to listen for the still small voice of the Holy Spirit.

I’ve been planning all along to write about the experience of the 40 Day Prayer Challenge. I hadn’t been planning to do it this soon. But this was necessary. Very necessary.

In the weeks after Easter I will share more about what I learned during the 40 days. I hope you’ll come back to read more.

Have you ever felt you should drop everything and go pray? I’d love to have you share your story in the comments!

Doing What I Want

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The other day, Alli Worthington posted this tweet:

 

It got me thinking. Why wouldn’t I try to be the person I want to be? How did we ever get to the point of trying to meet the expectations of others?

 

So often in our lives we try to conform to expectations others have for us. Parents, teachers, pastors, friends, spouses, etc. Even if the expectations aren’t verbalized, somehow our fallen minds end up internalizing expectations we believe others have of us.

As a parent of two teenagers, I have to ask myself if I’m telling them what they “should” be. My oldest son is a senior in high school. He’s looking at college next year and majoring in physics. Did I tell him he should be go into physics? I’m pretty the answer is “NO”.

But, have I encouraged him to investigate other interests?

When he was younger, he was a prolific artist. And, quite good. He doesn’t draw anymore. Why? I’m pretty sure his mom and I haven’t discouraged him from it. Did someone else? Did society tell him he shouldn’t look to art as a career?

Don’t get me wrong. I love that he has a passion for math and science. He’s excited about physics! This is good. What if he changes his mind after the first year? I’m sure the dollar signs in my head would tell me to be upset, but hopefully the loving parent in me would encourage him to pursue his passion, whatever it may turn to.

The world tells us we should be many things.

I’ve been a salesman for over 17 years. Am I stuck with this identity? I hope not.

As I attempt to change this identity, I do find at times I’m being told to stay where I am. Why change?

This past weekend I was away from home at a retreat. I was introduced to a few people. One person asked me what I do? Of course the obvious came out of my mouth, “I’m a car salesman.” But!!! I hesitated. I ALMOST said something else.

“I’m a writer.”

Those are the words I wish I had the courage to say. Those are the words I SHOULD say.

Society tells me I “should” be a salesman. I’m ready to change my identity. Are you?

What are you told you “should” be? 
I’d love to hear from you in the comments!